Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft From Attila the Hun to Kissinger

Foreign Affairs | 2026-02-17 | diplomacy

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English Summary

The article posits that in the current era of great-power competition, diplomacy must be understood not merely as communication, but as a sophisticated exercise in grand strategy. Historically, successful statecraft—as demonstrated by figures from Bismarck to the Byzantines—requires leaders to build complex alliances and coalitions to offset limited national capabilities. This strategic process involves restricting the operational space of adversaries while integrating diplomatic goals with both military and economic power. Consequently, the analysis stresses that mastering this comprehensive art of statecraft is increasingly vital for managing threats and maintaining stability in a fractured global order.

中文摘要

本文提出，在當前大國競爭的時代，外交不能僅被視為溝通，而必須被理解為一門複雜的「大戰略」實踐。從歷史角度來看，成功的治國方略——無論是拜斯馬克還是拜占庭帝國的典範——都要求領導人建立複雜的聯盟與集團，以彌補國家能力上的局限性。這一戰略過程涉及限制敵對方的行動空間，並將外交目標與軍事及經濟力量相整合。因此，本文分析強調，掌握這門全面的治國藝術，對於管理當前的威脅並維持碎片化的全球秩序穩定性，正變得越來越關鍵。

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